Guide to Colouring Canaries: Tips, Techniques, and the Best Products

Canaries are a stunning and vibrant addition to any bird lover's home. Known for their cheerful songs and beautiful plumage, these little birds come in a variety of colours, including yellow, red, and orange. If you’re a canary owner looking to enhance your bird's natural colours, or you're interested in breeding canaries with specific colour traits,
you've come to the right place.

When Should You Start Colouring Your Canaries?

If you're planning to enhance or change your canary's colour, it’s important to know the right time to start the process. Generally, it’s best to begin introducing colour foods to your canaries when they are about 6 months old. This is when they have reached maturity and their feather development is well underway. Starting too early might not be effective, as younger canaries are still growing and developing their natural plumage.

It’s also advisable to introduce colour-enhancing foods before the moult period, as canaries shed old feathers and grow new ones. During the moult (usually in late summer or early autumn), the bird’s feathers are more receptive to colour-enhancing pigments. For the best results, aim to feed your canaries special colour foods consistently during their moult and continue after they’ve fully feathered.

How Do You Change the Colour of a Canary?

Changing the colour of a canary involves altering its diet to include certain pigments that naturally enhance or shift their feather coloration. For canaries, this typically means adding carotenoid pigments like canthaxanthin and astaxanthin, which produce shades of red and orange.

If your canary is naturally yellow, it will need to be introduced to red or orange pigments to achieve a new colour. You can achieve this by feeding the canary special colour-enhancing foods, like Haith's Red Factor Canary Food. These foods are specifically designed to provide the right nutrients and pigments, helping to give your canary a rich, bright red or orange hue.

Here’s how you can change your canary’s colour:

  • Carophyll Red - Haith's

    Choose a suitable colour food

    Look for colour-enhancing foods that contain carotenoids such as Haith's Carophyll Red, Carophyll Orange, and Carophyll Yellow. The pigment in these foods will be absorbed by your canary and incorporated into its feathers.

  • Ready Mixed Colour Food™ - Haith's

    Gradually introduce the colour food

    Start by offering the colour-enhancing food mixed with their regular food to prevent any sudden changes in their diet, which might upset their stomach. Gradually increase the proportion of colour food over time.

  • Be patient

    Colouring a canary is a gradual process, and it can take several months before you begin to see noticeable changes. The feathers will slowly absorb the pigments, resulting in brighter colours over time.

  • Provide a balanced diet

    While colour foods are important, they should be part of a balanced diet that includes plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to support your canary’s overall health. Don't forget to provide fresh fruits, vegetables, and clean water.

How Do You Keep a Red Factor Canary Red?

If you've managed to achieve the stunning red hue in your canary, you’ll want to maintain it. Keeping a red factor canary red requires consistent care and attention to its diet and overall well-being.

Here’s how you can ensure your red factor canary stays vibrant and colourful:

Regularly feed colour food

To keep your red factor canary red, it’s essential to continue feeding it a diet rich in the right pigments. Haith’s Carophyll Red Canary Food is an excellent option, as it contains carotenoids like canthaxanthin, which provide the pigment responsible for the bright red colour. Make sure you provide this food on a regular basis, as discontinuing it may cause the bird’s red colouring to fade over time.

Ensure proper hydration

Always provide fresh, clean water for your canary. Dehydration can have a negative impact on its health and colouring. You might also consider adding vitamin and mineral supplements to its water to support its overall health.

Avoid stress

Stress can cause a variety of health issues in canaries, including dull feathers. Make sure your canary's environment is calm and comfortable, with plenty of space to fly and explore. Reducing stress will help ensure the bird’s feathers remain vibrant and healthy.

Give it time to moult

The moult is a natural process that helps your canary renew its feathers. During this time, the bird's feathers are more likely to absorb the colour pigments. By continuing the right diet during the moult, you'll ensure the new feathers are just as vibrant as the old ones.

Provide a healthy, varied diet

While colour foods are important, your canary also needs a healthy and balanced diet to stay in peak condition. A varied diet that includes seeds, greens, and occasional treats will help your canary thrive and maintain its bright red feathers.

Here are a few key things to know about breeding these two types of canaries:

  • Possible offspring colours

    When you breed a red factor canary with a yellow canary, the offspring could be a mix of both colours. Some may have a red or orange tint, while others may remain yellow. It depends on the genes that are
    passed down. If both parents carry the red factor gene, it’s more likely that their offspring will inherit the red colouration.

  • Selective breeding for specific colours

    If you're looking to breed canaries for a specific colour (such as all red canaries), it’s best to breed two red factor canaries together. However, if you're happy with a mix of yellow and red canaries, then breeding a yellow canary with a red factor bird could give you a lovely range of colours.

  • Maintain a balanced diet

    No matter what colour you’re aiming for, it’s important to provide a nutritious and varied diet to support the health and colouration of both parents and their offspring. Haith's colour foods can help enhance the plumage of your canaries and ensure vibrant feather development in the next generation.

Haith’s Colour Foods: The Best Choice for Healthy, Vibrant Canaries

When it comes to enhancing and maintaining the colour of your canary, Haith’s colour foods are an excellent option. Our range of products, including Carophyll Red, Carophyll Orange, and Carophyll Yellow, are specially formulated to provide the necessary pigments that give red, orange, and yellow canaries their stunning colours.

Carophyll Red

Specifically designed for red factor canaries, this food helps promote vibrant red and orange hues by providing the right carotenoid pigments.

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Carophyll Orange - Haith's

Carophyll Orange

This option is perfect for achieving a warm orange colour in canaries, ideal for those with a natural yellow hue who want to introduce an orange tint.

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Carophyll Yellow - Haith's

Carophyll Yellow

If you're looking to maintain or enhance a yellow canary’s natural colouring, Carophyll Yellow is a great choice. It provides the perfect balance to keep yellow birds bright and vibrant.

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